Fragments of Hope

Chapter 5 The Storm

A few days passed, and everything seemed to calm down a little. I couldn't tell you the exact time, but I know it had to be around noon. Dan, Scar, Nadene, and I were talking in the living room. At that moment, surrounded by our voices, we felt normal again, and the world felt sane. Scar turned to me and asked,

"so, if the world went back to normal right now, what do you think you would be doing?"

I sat up straight and was about to answer until I heard my mom burst through the front door and the look on her face was ghostly pale. Something terrible was about to happen, and she frantically began to scream Run! Hide! Go, get Ahmed and Zara. We all jumped up and shouted,

"what's happening?"

She turned to me and screamed,

"They found us again."

Now Knowing the Imminent danger we were in, we didn't hesitate, but the world around me started losing sound. Still, I ran. We all ran to opposite ends of the house. Mom and I hid in the attic behind a dresser. We didn't know where everyone else went, but we just hoped they were safe.

My mom turned towards me and said,

"I'm so sorry, baby."

I looked at her and could see her eyes begin to swell up; she then said,

"Please, if anything happens tonight, you take care of your sister."

I grabbed her hand and said,

"Mom, what do you mean what's happening?"

she pushed my hair back and said,

"if I don't make it out of here, go in my small bag and grab that old notebook out of it, and it'll tell you everything."

Before she could say anything else, we heard my mom's name being called from downstairs,

"REBECCA Rebecca!! come out."

The person had a taunting voice. It became louder and closer until it was like I could almost taste the person's voice, but then the voice stopped, and the door to the attic creaked open,

"Rebecca, I know you're in here. You can't hide for long."

My mom stood up, and I tried to pull her back down, but she just pulled away from me. All I could do was mouth the words

"no, mom,"

but she didn't listen. She stepped out from behind the dresser with her hands behind her head. She then whispered

"I won't fight back. You can take me in. Just don't hurt the kids."

The man giggled and said,

"Rebecca Rebecca ... sweetheart, do you know how much we missed you."

My mom didn't say anything. Then the man said,

"Rebecca, darling, you know why I'm here. Just tell me where you hid it, and I will leave you and everyone else here alone."

I wanted to see this person's face so bad, but I was frozen in fear. Until I began to hear walking and whispering, so I slowly peeked my head from behind the dresser we were hiding behind, and before I could think, speak, or do anything, I saw mother standing there. She started slowly turning her head back toward me. Then there was a sound I wish I would never hear again or see again. The sound rang through my ears, and the horrible image displayed in my eyes was a gun.

I stood up and ran over to my mom, and I then saw the man... his face...that smile, but what made me lose my inner sanity. Was that the man didn't seem to care about me anymore. He just walked out of the room. I felt invisible. I felt useless. I just repeated myself,